Ryan sobered at that, nodding to himself. He didn’t know what had brought Amy to Broken Hearts, nor did he ever know the particulars of why the guests came, but at the end of their thirty days, or whenever they went back, it probably would be strange to return to the life they had left. Especially when, hopefully, they had changed so much in the time they were here.
He rarely asked his sister about the details of the guests, and was never allowed to know the personal situations of each, but every now and then, one or two would pique his concern enough to inquire about. Having them help out on the ranch was part of Kellie’s model for the place, giving them a schedule, structure, and purpose, and the value of hard work in improving recovery and mental health. Most of the time, their chores were fairly basic though useful, but every now and then, they had ambitious guests who wanted to learn and do more.
Amy had been one of those.
“Well,” he ventured slowly, “if you’re ever out in Texas looking for a job, I think we could make room here. What do you think, Caleb?”
Caleb nodded with perfect timing. “Absolutely. My wife would love having you back; Jenny said you guys get on great.”
“We did,” Amy agreed, flashing a bright smile. “And thanks for that, but I don’t think my husband would want to move out here. He’s pretty miserable without me, so I think I better play fair for a while.”
“What’s he do for work?” Ryan asked, his picture of Amy shifting slightly based on what she’d said. A happy, healthy relationship with her husband? What would have brought her here, then?
She raised a brow. “He’s a CPA. Tax season is coming, so he really wants me home.”
“We pay taxes in Texas,” Caleb pointed out.
Amy laughed at that. “I’ll be sure to tell him. Better get back to the house, though. Early flight tomorrow, and I’m not even close to packed.” She nodded at them both, and turned her horse with a decent hand, galloping away in a way that made Ryan proud, given she’d never been on a horse a month ago.
“I don’t say this often,” Caleb grunted as he watched her go, scrunching his face up in thought, “but I’d wish the stay was longer than thirty days if it meant she’d hang around longer.”
Ryan gave his friend a look. “They have real lives, remember? It’s not an internship here.”
“I know that. You’re the one who asked about her husband.”
“Don’t go there,” he groaned, dismounting from his horse and moving over to the gate to see the cattle they’d separated just now. “She’s gotta be forty, and I didn’t see her that way. Besides, I’m well aware of the rules.”
Caleb chuckled darkly and turned to look over the cattle as well. “Everyone is aware of the rules. Kellie makes sure of that.”
Ryan would give him that, but he also saw his sister’s point all too clearly. A retreat for women on a working ranch in Texas could bring a whole slew of problems if there weren’t restrictions, especially given the flirtatious nature of a lot of young men he knew in the area. Lost Creek itself had adopted the ranch, so they knew the rules, too, though they didn’t technically extend to the town. But having a rodeo in town meant lots of visitors.
Visitors could mean trouble.
He was grateful he hadn’t been around for the process of figuring out logistics for the ranch’s new model. He got a headache now if he thought about them for too long, and they’d been in place for a few years now.
“Holt’s bringing some horses back over today,” Ryan told his companion, his attention moving from the cows to thoughts of the rodeo again. “The west barn and stables should be all right.”
Caleb nodded once. “We need to do much with them? Rehab or breaking or anything?”
Ryan shook his head, resting his arms on the rails of the gate. “Nah. I guess they’re for the Lost Creek rodeo, so we’re just boarding ’em.”
“Did you cut him a deal?”
The jab made Ryan chuckle, and he looked at the burly man with a grin. “Nope, you know better than that.”
“Trust me,” came the quick response. “I’m not gonna forget the ridiculous amount your relative charged when we needed a break.”
“It wasn’t that bad,” Ryan protested, still smiling, though feeling it a bit of his duty to defend his cousin.
“Just don’t tell him I call him Scrooge behind his back, okay?”
Ryan snorted a soft laugh at that. There was no question that his cousin was a tough customer, and Prosperity Ranch was all the better for it. “At least he pays. Knox would ditch us first.”
“True enough.”
The men fell silent, watching the cows move about their new location. They’d sort out a few for auction, and the rest would roam free for a while, but Ryan, for one, really wasn’t in much of a hurry to get any of it done.
He had a lot on his mind.
He’d finally tracked down the entries for the rodeo in Lost Creek in a few weeks, and three of his former teammates were coming in. He’d not decided yet if he would watch any of the events.
He hadn’t been to a rodeo since his injury. He’d watched some highlights after the fact, but he hadn’t made himself go in person. Kellie had wanted him to, but he hadn’t done it.
If his teammates were coming in, he should probably make an effort to see them, if not support them in their events.
It would sting to do it, but he’d have to get over it sooner or later.
Get over it.
What a ridiculous phrase. Instantly minimizing and shamefully patronizing, and he could safely admit that he had been shaming himself for his reluctance for ages.
Didn’t change anything, but bullying himself was getting old.
“Did you see the lineup for Lost Creek?” Caleb asked, as if reading his thoughts.
Ryan nodded once. “Yep.”
“Couple of your old buddies coming in. Gonna see ’em?”
“Not sure,” Ryan admitted, narrowing his eyes as he pretended to examine individual cattle. “We lost touch after I got hurt.”
Caleb made a noncommittal sound beside him. “Tom Hauser says they’re struggling to get full numbers for the events. An early rodeo isn’t as popular. Even the volunteer lists are struggling. General lack of interest.”
That got Ryan’s attention, and he looked at his friend in surprise. “Seriously? What’s happened? There’s never been a lack of interest in Lost Creek—they’ve even done a Santa rodeo before and had a waiting list.”
“Rodeo is old hat now,” Caleb said with a shrug. “Between SHCC starting to host college events more, and the regular circuits coming through, they can get a rodeo just about any time they like. Why bother?”
“Why bother?” Ryan sputtered before pinching the bridge of his nose and exhaling slowly. “Rodeo is part of the culture of Lost Creek. The guys and I didn’t put the rodeo team at Sam Houston Community College on the map for it all to be ignored. What is the matter with everyone?” He dropped his hand and glared at Caleb. “This ain’t right, Caleb.”
Caleb raised a brow and folded his arms. “I know it ain’t. Didn’t say I was in with them, did I?”